Where am I from?

I was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec -- a place known best for French, food and fashion. I moved to New York City for graduate school and spent almost 10 years surrounded by more food and fashion, but sadly, no French. I've lived in the Boston area for over 10 years now. It's not so much French, food ... or fashion ... but I have lots of friends.

What made me want to write?

I always had an overactive imagination. In elementary school I gave names and voices to all the items in my pencil case. Seriously. I would sit in the back of the class and hope no one would notice the theatrics on my desk. I wrote my first picture book in elementary school and my first YA romance in middle school. I tried to get both published, and alas, both were rejected. Clearly, I had a lot more work to do.

What else have I done?

I've written for kids and parents online, on-air and in print. I started my career working at Nickelodeon with a crew of hugely talented people who are all doing amazing things today, like producing and writing for Emmy-award-winning TV shows, writing best-selling books, and performing in live comedy shows. I learned so much from their humor and creativity. I also consulted with a mad-genius puppeteer who was obsessed with this one brand of multigrain bread. (Once, he sent three interns out to scour the city because there wasn't any left in our office kitchen.) All the people he worked with had the coolest voices.

The official Stellow Project Bio

Shari Becker was born in Montreal, Quebec, and was raised speaking both English and French. As a child, she spent her summers in the Adirondack Mountains catching fireflies, minnows, and toads. She has an MA from New York University and has worked for Nickelodeon, for Disney-owned companies, and even for an Emmy Award–winning puppeteer. She is the author of two picture books, including Maxwell’s Mountain, a Junior Library Guild Selection and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. She now lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with her husband, their two daughters, and their dog. She loves lakes, but despises the bridges that run over them.